[PDF] Dorchester (Then and Now) by Anthony Mitchell Sammarco at Arts-Photography

Description

Artist Mary Whytersquo;s Down Bohicket Road includes two decades worth of watercolorsmdash;depicting a select group of Gullah women of Johns Island; South Carolina; and their stories. In 1991; following Whytersquo;s recovery from a year of treatment for cancer; she and her husband moved to a small sea island near Charleston; seeking a new home where they could reinvent themselves far removed from the hectic pace of Philadelphia. In this remote corner of the South; Whyte first met Alfreda LaBoard and her devoted group of seniors who gathered weekly to make quilts; study the Bible; and socialize in a small rural church on Bohicket Road. Descendants of lowcountry slaves; these longtime residents of the island influenced Whytersquo;s life and art in astonishing and unexpected ways.Whyte soon began a series of watercolors depicting these women; honoring their lives and their dedication to family and faith. As her friendships with these women grew; their matriarch Alfreda LaBoard claimed Whyte as her ldquo;vanilla sister.rdquo; Alfredarsquo;s World; a collection of Whytersquo;s detailed watercolors and poignant recollections of the women at the senior center; was published a decade later; drawing attention and support from the community to the small church on Bohicket Road. Down Bohicket Road continues the story of Whytersquo;s relationship with these extraordinary women; following the passing of Alfreda; against the backdrop of the ongoing commercial development of Johns Island. For Whyte; the heart of this community remains in the simple homes clustered along Bohicket Road; in the islandrsquo;s winding tidal creeks; and in a small church where eighteen hardscrabble women gather in fellowship each week. In her book Whyte illustrates that both watercolors and friendships can be the unpredictable results of an abundance of blessings. As shared through touching words and vibrant paintings; Down Bohicket Road celebrates a unique way of coastal life and a remarkable friendship that transcends all barriersmdash;even death itselfmdash;in praise of the unifying power of art.